In the RTS computer game Total Annihilation, nanolathing is the process in which any construction unit builds.
With a traditional lathe, stock is spun in place while various tools are used to remove small amounts of material at a time until the desired look is acheived. Nanolathe technology is the reverse of this. Working from a pre-defined blueprint in memory, a construction unit spays down microscopic particles, layer upon layer, until the build is complete. Once the blueprint is established, other construction units may assist with building up the layers, even if they do not have the blueprint themselves.